Gender

Articles, Films and practical Guides on gender, part of Psyche’s coverage of self-knowledge and personal growth.
A person relaxing on an inflatable ring in a river surrounded by trees on a sunny day.
GENDER
2

Muscle memory

How transitioning upended my own gendered understanding of strength, desirability, and power

by Mieke de Vries

Two children’s dresses lying flat, one blue the other white with floral patterns and colourful smocking.
PARENTING AND FAMILIES
1

The daughter I never had

I loved my three sons but still yearned for a girl. Why did this fill me with such shame?

by Emma Wilkins

Marble sculpture of a dynamic struggle between two naked figures on a dark background, showcasing intricate details and movement.
GENDER

Plato’s challenge to the meaning of manliness still resonates

Even in ancient Greece, Plato questioned whether gender norms around masculinity were good for men’s individual freedom

by Yancy Hughes Dominick

Illustration of a simple cartoon figure with a bob haircut wearing a green crop top and red skirt on a light background.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Growing pains, bras, size, sex – a group of women get candid about all things boobs

A film by Subarna Dash and Vidushi Gupta

Four people enjoying churros with coffee at an outdoor cafe table, engaging in conversation and laughter.
COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE

Are people less talkative these days?

A study explores how many words people use a day, whether women really speak more than men, and whether we’re talking less

by Matt Huston

Three women chatting and laughing on stone steps at night with people relaxing in the background.
GENDER

Is being single a happier experience for women or men?

More people than ever are going solo. We identified a gender difference that hints at the ingredients needed to enjoy it

by Elaine Hoan & Geoff MacDonald

A monochrome photo of a person with a shaved head looking down in low light, a tattooed teardrop visible near their eye.
TRAUMA AND PTSD

Why it matters that trauma affects women and men differently

They are too often ignored, yet sex differences affect the kind of trauma people experience and the effect it has on them

by Klára Hanáková

Photo of four men embracing on a beach at night with colourful lights blurred in the background.
GENDER
15

Too many men lack close friendships. What’s holding them back?

Some masculine norms are a straightjacket, depriving men of the connections they need. It takes bravery to leave them behind

by Angelica Puzio Ferrara

A man observing a large, lifelike sculpture of an elderly man with a braid on a white gallery wall.
PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS

Men’s anxiety about hair loss can have a deeper meaning

As a psychoanalyst, I’ve seen how reflecting on the emotional symbolism of hair loss can be therapeutic for many men

by Tom Wooldridge

A blue sports car and a grey luxury car parked on a city street with people and a Christian Dior shop in the background.
GENDER
17

The ‘masculinity crisis’ is actually a crisis of self-esteem

There’s a modern belief that talent or effort can carry anyone to the top. It’s a myth that’s especially harmful to men

by Leo Rogers

Black and white photo of a hand holding a scallop shell. The background is blurred and the shell shows detailed texture.
WORK AND VOCATION
1

A poetic, sea-soaked tribute to the ‘cockle women’ of Wales

Directed by Lily Tiger

Medieval painting of two figures in a garden, one in pink and the other in red, surrounded by plants and a tree.
MUSIC

Why did bloody knights write love songs about spring blossoms?

The masculinity of medieval knighthood was expansive enough for both graphic violence and the joys of a flower meadow

by Jennifer Saltzstein

A painting of a woman in 18th-century attire with a large hairstyle holding a letter, seated with a dark background.
THE BODY AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Menopause was a French invention at a time of revolution

French doctors of the 1800s had a vested interest in pathologising women’s ageing, as do many commercial entities today

by Alison M Downham Moore

A still from the film Miss Congeniality showing the actress Sandra Bullock in a tight-fitting lilac dress walking towards the camera, surrounded by people in pink uniforms.
FILM

From drab to fab – a playful dissection of the Hollywood makeover

Directed by Sue Ding

Photo of a smiling family sitting in a red convertible car parked in front of a suburban house.
GENDER
3

In more prosperous societies, are men and women more similar?

How much the sexes differ psychologically depends on how fair and wealthy a country is. But not in the way you’d think

by Kåre Hedebrant & Agneta Herlitz

Ancient marble statue of a headless Hermaphroditus, draped lower garment, against a plain background.
GENDER
5

There is nothing new about gender fluidity and nonconformity

From Mesopotamia and ancient Greece to precolonial India and medieval London, gender has always been more than a binary

by Chris Wheatley